Movement therapy and yoga are promising and relatively new areas of treatment for physically disabled persons and for persons with conditions such as autism, depression, chronic illnesses, dementia, and anxiety. Due to the current lack of safe and adequate support devices that facilitate movement and stretching, however, movement therapy and yoga are largely unavailable or impractical.
Movement or dance therapy has been shown through research to provide significant benefits for persons suffering from various conditions or disorders. For people suffering from schizophrenia, depression, stroke, anxiety, and eating disorders, dance therapy has been shown to improve physical, psychological, and cognitive functioning as well as improve body image and increase relaxation. Unfortunately, however, dance therapy has primarily been tested on people with psychological problems rather than physical disabilities due to the lack of a safe and supportive apparatus to assist the therapists. Because movement therapy has been helping people who suffer from such a wide variety of illnesses or conditions, it is likely that it will similarly benefit physically disabled persons as well.
One type of movement therapy has been tested on physically disabled persons with a positive outcome. Specifically, suspension therapy has been investigated as a method of treating paraplegics. Using a new frame that supports a suspension harness positioned over a treadmill, some paraplegics have regained partial mobility of their limbs after practicing a repetitive walking motion. This suggests the many possibilities of therapies available with suspension devices and the great improvements to the patients' condition that work in this area could yield. It would be useful to explore further.
Like movement therapy, the general benefits of yoga and aerial yoga for both handicapped and non-handicapped people are also being actively explored. Both types of yoga have been shown to stretch, work core muscles, and relieve stress. Aerial yoga has been increasing in popularity in particular due to the increase in safety, accessibility, and fun that it provides. Additionally, yoga is shown to provide psychological benefits for all people who practice it, such as giving the students more relaxation and also an energetic rush. Finally, practicing a modified form of yoga has recently been shown to help people suffering from spinal cord injuries. The people who are a part of this movement maintain that yoga is for everyone and that even people who cannot practice traditional yoga still can, and should, enjoy its benefits. Therefore, it is useful to develop an improved apparatus to help the handicapped easily utilize these therapy techniques.
Many different safety and functional considerations should be considered for a practical and safe suspension therapy apparatus. First, it should provide freedom of movement and mobility the patient can have while using the apparatus. The apparatus should be able to swing in all directions and be able to rotate without becoming tangled. Also, the patient should not have too many safety straps holding them in place such that it becomes difficult to do the exercises or movements necessary. Upper body movement should remain unrestrained. Second, the apparatus should be adaptable for use with patients of different heights and with different disabilities. The patient using the apparatus should be able to modify the apparatus based on their specific needs in order to balance the amount of support they need from the apparatus with the amount of mobility they want to feel when using it.
There are also many safety and related considerations to consider. The apparatus should be strong enough to support patients of any weight or be adaptable depending on the amount of weight it must support. Also, the patients should have a safe way to get in and out of the apparatus and to transition between exercises and stretches. While this can be done with the assistance of a therapist, it should be practical and not dangerous for either the therapist or the patient. Additionally, it is necessary to look at the shifting of the apparatus while in use. The apparatus should be secure and safe for all exercises. It should reduce or prevent uncomfortable or dangerous sliding and rubbing. Last, if the patient were to have any complications while using the apparatus, the therapist should be able to quickly stop and release them from the apparatus.
Currently available therapy swings and apparatuses for disabled people are inadequate, however because they do not allow for both freedom of movement and stability. One such swing features a fixed rotation point that has a bar to keep the two separate sides of the hammock from tangling. While this provides a full range of rotation, it does not allow the patient to swing in all directions. Additionally, it does not support for the patient in a manner that allows him to easily and safely do many exercises or yoga stretches. Another design is a simple barrel on which the patient can sit and swing. The barrel provides almost no support and is difficult to use with patients who do not have lower body mobility. A third apparatus is shaped like a shallow bowl and is suspended from one point. Because the bowl is rigid, it does not allow the patient to easily practice yoga or many physical therapy exercises. A fourth swing apparatus is shaped like a soft taco and has two points of connection to the frame. The soft taco can only be used while lying down, however, and prevents the patient from having full mobility. Finally, traditional aerial yoga hammocks are also available, but they lack any safety features or restraints, which makes them unsafe for many disabled persons and for persons suffering from conditions where extra support is needed.
Additional currently available suspension devices or swings targeting handicapped persons specifically include a swing shaped similar to a chair with a harness-like buckle. While it allows a patient to swing back and forth without risk of falling out of the chair, it does not allow the patient to do much else. Another swing apparatus that can possibly accommodate a patient in a wheel chair has a simple plywood platform attached at a single point to the frame. Unfortunately, it only facilitates a small amount of movement before encountering safety concerns. Additionally, the patient must remain in his wheelchair while using the device.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a suspension therapy apparatus that can safely accommodate a disabled person. Moreover, it would be desirable to provide a suspension therapy apparatus that allows for great freedom of movement and that is highly customizable depending on a person's height, weight, and safety needs. Additionally, it would be desirable to provide a suspension therapy apparatus that supports a person who wishes to practice physical therapy exercises, occupational therapy exercises, yoga exercises and poses, and other forms of exercise or dance movement. Finally, it would be desirable that the safety features be quickly removable in the event of an emergency.